Every year, for the past 20 years, we've travelled to the Kaunertal Glacier in Austria to test the best snowboards on the market. With 55 kilometres of perfectly groomed slopes and a load of off-piste options (when the weather allows), Kaunertal is the perfect spot to get the business done.
Snow is guaranteed from October to May thanks to the high elevation
This April, we had two days of sun and one that was a little cloudy. There was no fresh snow during the trip snow but we had great conditions for testing. It was a little icy first thing in the morning but by 10:30/11 the mountain was perfect and we could really put the boards through their paces.
We tend to test twice a year. The first test is in January and is in Hochfugen, Austria and it's from this test that we place all our orders with the snowboard manufacturers for our stock for the following winter. This second test in Kaunteral, is specifically so that all of our staff here at The Snowboard Shop can get a feel for how the boards perform, so when we get enquiries from customers we can truly offer first hand advice on what snowboards are the most suitable.
Choosing a favourite wasn’t easy because, honestly, most of the boards we rode were super fun. That said, a couple stood out from the crowd. The Ride Vantum was mega fun to ride and perfect for the conditions we had. It's a directional all-mountain snowboard that held an edge at speed and chopped through the chunkier snow later in the day with ease.
The brand new Bataleon Stereo was a super fun, playful snowboard that Matt kept hold of most of the day! It's a true-twin, perfect for freestyle, jibbing and switch riding. Overall, it was one of the best testing trips we've ever had, with great riding conditions, a super fun shred crew, and a solid reminder of why we love what we do.
We've started uploaded all our new 2027 snowboards, boots and bindings to this site. This is being updated on a daily basis so keep an eye on the page incase you want to pre-order any fresh kit!